1986 William Tell Weapons Meet

Tyndall AFB, Panama City FL

F-106 units did not compete in WT86, WT84 was their last, but it did participate. The 119 FIS and 159 FIS were invited as range patrol aircraft and targets. Their aircraft were painted with a solid color tail as a Visual ID Target during some of the WT86 mission profiles. None of the ID Targets competed.

The tail color markings were actually not piant, but rather a press on material that was just pulled off after the meet. Range, umpire and manned profile target duties for profile three Hook and ID and Profile Four ECM targets. Non-live fire sorties. Evaluator missile sorties. The purpose of the coloring and notice different colors was so the interceptor pilot intercepting them had to correctly identify the color the particular aircraft was displaying prior to being cleared for an evaluator shot. ECM pods were carried on the left wing during the profile four missions where they were simulating cruise missiles and high speed ECM targets. Shown here with ACMI pods under the left wing for the benefit of ground computer recording displaying and controlling, during live sortie time. Entire battles were watched using ACMI (Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation). And since it was recorded, the actual pilots could come back and watch their engagements they had just previously fought. Very nice learning tool. Only several F-106's were modified to carry ECM pods on the left wing pylon. It was not a widespread mod. ACMI on the right wing became standard throughout the F-106 fleet in the late seventies for DACT engagements and was used where ACMI or ACMR (Air Combat Maneuvering Range) ranges were available. Also in 1986 the CF-18 entered in the competition for the first time with the Canadian team, finishing second overall behind a TAC F-15 Team.